


Transition

by nanuk_dain



Series: Revelations [2]
Category: RED (2010)
Genre: Action/Adventure, First Time, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-04
Updated: 2011-05-04
Packaged: 2017-10-19 00:07:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/194736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nanuk_dain/pseuds/nanuk_dain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When had 'Cooper' become 'William', Frank wondered and ducked when a bullet embedded itself into the desk behind which he had taken cover.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Transition

  
[   
](http://pics.livejournal.com/nanuk_dain/pic/00053wr6)   


When had this begun, Frank wondered while he cowered behind a desk that he hoped would be resilient enough to withstand the bullets that showered down in his direction. Not far from him, behind an overturned metal table, he saw William duck and wait for a moment to return fire. No, wait, Agent Cooper. So, when had he begun to call him William in his thoughts? Some time now, the feeling was familiar, the name was familiar.

He looked over to William again. The agent's whole body was tense, ready to react the moment it was necessary. It was an interesting experience not to be the aim of William's bullets for once, to actually stand on the same side with him. Well, forced on the same side really, not by choice, but still.

“We have to move!” Frank shouted over to where William was ducking again. A bullet had penetrated the metal table only a few inches away from Will's head.

“I agree!” was his answer while he gave the hole a suspicious look. “Where to?”

Again the bullets whizzed past and Frank cowered down a bit more. This was really not the most favourable position they were in right now and everything was better than taking cover behind tables that didn't withstand bullets after all. Frank eyed the doorway to the stairs a few feet away from them.

“Over to the stairway. I go first, I'm closer. You cover me! Then I'll cover you!”

He had to admit, in retrospective, that it was amazing William had done what he had said without any protest. He had just nodded and waited for Frank to start running, then he jumped up and shot down the room. Frank reached the doorway, knelt down and shot. “Come on now, Will!”

The CIA agent turned and run towards him when the bullets took up again. Frank took down a man in the far corner and waited until William was safe in the stairway before he retreated and pulled the door close. “You okay?”

There was a pause and when Frank turned towards him, he thought he saw surprise and confusion in William's eyes before he replied, “I'm fine.”

Frank nodded and hurried down the stairs. “Well then, lets get out of here. This won't hold them off forever.”

He heard William follow closely behind him until they reached the bottom landing. They took positions without thinking about it, their training was ingrained so deeply that they worked just perfectly together. Frank knew that it was not only due to training, however, because there had been enough agents in the course of his time who he hadn't been able to work with like this. This understanding that needed no words, this knowledge what the other would do, where he would be, when he would act. It was an amazing feeling that he had only shared with a handful of people and he was astonished to find it with William Cooper, of all people.

Frank pulled the door open and William darted out, weapon levelled and checking the hallway methodically. Frank followed him suite and they kept their backs to each other while they made for the exit. There was nobody down here, which was strange, they had to know he and William would try to leave the building. They approached the door when a bullet crashed through the glass of the façade and made them retreat behind the reception desk.

“What the fuck?!” Frank growled and tried to get a look at the shooter. Actually, it wasn't only one, it was at least half a dozen, and they were positioned outside of the building, forming a semicircle around the exit.

“Great.” he heard William growl next to him. He had seen their welcome commando as well, then. “How do we get out of that?”

“My only idea would be to get back into the staircase and try the parking lot, but they will have that covered, too.” Frank said and checked his ammunition. Three clips left. Not that much, but at least he was not out yet. “How much do you have left?”

“Two clips.” Will replied without having to look.

Well, didn't that make the odds so much better, Frank thought and snorted. “Well, you go first. I have more ammo left.”

“When did this become so complicated?” William huffed in annoyance. “I was just supposed to meet an informant, not to take on a private army.”

“Welcome to my world of bad luck.” Frank grinned and readied himself to shoot at Will's notice. “You ready?”

“Ready.”

“Go!” Frank shouted and started shooting. He managed to get two of the men, at least they weren't trying to shoot him anymore when he retreated back behind the reception desk. He glanced at the door to the stairway and saw William's hand close to the floor, counting down from three to zero. When the agent came out and opened fire, Frank ducked and ran towards the staircase, keeping his head well under William's line of fire.

“Well, that was quite an unnecessary detour.” the agent remarked when they hurried down towards the parking level.

“Consider it training.” Frank replied and grinned. This was actually fun. He liked William's presence in his back, it was strangely reassuring. It really shouldn't be, the man was his enemy. Technically.

“My car is in the back on the left. Black SUV.” William said before they entered the parking deck and moved along the rows of cars, keeping their heads low. After a minute, there was the sound of gunshots, though, somebody had seen them nevertheless.

“Hurry!” Frank shouted and ran. He actually felt his heart stop when he saw William go down behind him. It was just out of the corner of his eye, but it was enough to make him rush back without ever giving it a thought. It was not a conscious decision, more a reflex, and now was really not the time to ponder on what that said about his feelings towards the agent. He grabbed the groaning William – but groaning was good, it meant he was alive – and pulled him behind a row of cars and dragged him along to his car. The large black SUV was impossible to miss. So cliché, really.

“Keys!” Frank hissed. “Give me your keys!”

“Left pocket.” William replied, but didn't attempt to move. Frank didn't like how forced his words sounded. He was obviously in pain, enough pain to allow Frank to let his hand slide in the left pocket of his slacks to get the keys. Frank quickly opened the door and heaved Will in the passenger seat, then took the wheel and drove towards the exit. A bullet shattered the windscreen and Frank instinctively reached out and pushed William over so he was bend over and out of the line of fire. In the back of his mind, the lack of protest alerted him, but he had to concentrate on driving through the rain of bullets. When there was a man with a machine gun on the lane, aiming at them, Frank pushed down the gas and ran him over before he could fire a shot. Then he took the ramp that led out of the parking deck towards the road, and of course they were waiting there, but Frank just pushed through. The way Will was not moving made his throat tighten in what he belatedly recognised as fear.

Once they hit the road and the sound of gunshots had faded into nothingness, Frank dared to look over and found William still bend over, his body relaxed in unconsciousness. Not good, so not good. Frank pressed his hand against William's chest and pushed him upright in the hope to see where he was hit. His head fell back against the headrest and lolled to the side, his eyes closed. There was a rather impressive bloodstain on his right thigh and for a horrible second Frank feared that the artery might be hit. But no, he told himself, there was not enough blood for that. He tried to calm down and concentrate on the traffic. The quicker they reached the motel, the better. Not even ten minutes later, Frank parked the SUV in front of the room he had taken for his stay and walked over to the passenger seat.

“Come on, Will, wake up!” Frank grumbled under his breath and shook the unconscious man by the shoulders. His head lolled from one side to the other, but he did not move on his own. “Damn it!”

Frank was really not a weak man, but carrying the dead weight of a grown man like William was not exactly a pleasure. He opened the door before he moved the agent slowly into the room and left him on the bed, then he went back and got the first aid kid out of the car. It was a matter of minutes to rid Will of his slack, wash the blood away and assess the damage. Not the artery, which was good, and it hadn't been a direct hit. But the bullet had cause a nasty long gash that would need stitches. Great. Frank left to buy a bottle of high percentage alcohol.

When he made the first stitch, William flinched and stirred. He groaned in pain and opened his eyes. “What...”

“You passed out, honey.” Frank said with an exaggeratedly nice voice and a huge smile, hoping that teasing would distract his patient from the pain.

“I passed out?” Will looked around and took in the surroundings. “And you decided to take me to your room and undress me? Where are your manners?”

At least he had his humour back, that was a good sign. Frank shrugged and made the next stitch. Will gritted his teeth but didn't make a sound.

“Do you actually know what you're doing?” he asked with a suspicious glance.

Frank just snorted and continued with the stitches. “I've been patching people up my whole life, Will. Myself included.”

“Since when do you call me 'Will'? I've been wanting to ask that for hours.” he asked and gave Frank a teasing smirk.

Frank decided to accept the challenge he could read in William's eyes. They'd been headed towards this for months now. He might as well take the final steps. “It's been a while. I just never had the opportunity to let you know.”

When le looked up, he was met with a smirk that was more a smile and made Will's eyes sparkle with joy, despite the pain he must be in. He'd never seen that expression on his face, and it warmed his whole interior in a way he hadn't experienced since his first love as a child. “Do you mind?”

“No.” William said with a voice that sounded raw, and Frank was strangely certain that had nothing to do with the pain. He felt a hand cover his, the one that was currently not holding the needle. “I like it.”

**Author's Note:**

> The great series banner was made by my beloved Megan_Moonlight!


End file.
